Dear residents,

Protecting our children should always be a priority, but unfortunately it is not. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, nearly 800,000 American children are reported missing each year, more than 2,000 each day.

Taking time to talk to your children about safety and abduction prevention is the idea behind the Center's "Take 25" child safety campaign throughout the month of May.

The idea is to simply encourage families to take even just 25 minutes to talk to their children and explain 25 safety tips that can help save their lives.

This is the third year for the campaign, which is held in conjunction with National Missing Children's Day (see below). This year, more than 1,100 child safety events are scheduled in 400 communities across the U.S. and Canada throughout May.

Locally, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation hosts the 3rd Annual Georgia Missing Children's Day on May 16 to honor Georgia's missing and endangered children. It is a FREE event and they are providing FREE child identification kits (while supplies last).

In closing, please click here to view a list of those children currently reported missing in Georgia. If you have any information about them, please call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children immediately at 1-800-THE LOST (1-800-843-5678).

Stay safe,

Sgt. Debra Kalish
Community Services

P.S.  If you received this copy from someone else, sign up here to get your own copy each month.

On May 25, 1979, 6-year-old Etan Patz* disappeared from a New York City street corner while walking to school. His case ultimately led to the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the designation of May 25 as National Missing Children's Day.

The Day's purpose is to remind all Americans of the priority of child protection and the need to:

• Renew efforts to reunite missing children with their families.
• Keep high quality photographs of your children in a safe, handy place.
• Pay close attention to Missing Children posters/photographs - including ones on milk cartons!

* 30 years later, Etan Patz is still missing.

Over 80% of all molested children are victimized by people you/they know and trust. Here are a few tips to teach your children to help them avoid becoming victims:

• Don't teach your child to associate danger only with strangers. Teach them to be aware of dangerous situations, whether they know the person or not.
• Give your children a list (names/cell/home phone) of 3 adults you trust. These are their "Safety Adults."
• Teach your children not to go anywhere with an adult, unless a parent or "Safety Adult" knows where they are going. This includes neighbors, parents' friends, teachers, coaches, etc.
• From the time your children learn how to speak, teach them their full name/phone number/ address.

Tell your child it's ok to say No if they feel they are in a dangerous situation.

As temperature rise, so do the reports of vehicle break-ins in Johns Creek. Last summer, JCPD saw an increase in thefts from unlocked vehicles parked inside open residential garages. It is a trend we suspect will continue this summer. Open garage doors are a "welcome sign" to thieves on the prowl for GPS devices, MP3 players, laptops, golf clubs, briefcases and purses.

• Always keep your garage doors closed.
• Remove all valuables from your vehicles, or at least from view, when parked in driveways or public places.
• When hiding items such as GPS and MP3 devices, also remove the holders from the windshield and cords used to plug them in. Otherwise, thieves know the devices are probably in the glove compartment.
• Try to avoid going to parks/gyms directly to/from work with laptops and briefcases in your vehicle. Thieves are on the prowl specifically during these times.
• Secure items in your trunk before arrival. Thieves watch parking lots to see where you put your items.

By taking a little extra time to remove valuables and plan your routes, you can greatly reduce the chance of being a victim of a vehicle break-in. So close your garage doors, lock your vehicles, and ALWAYS call the police at the first sign of suspicious behavior. With your help we can make Johns Creek an un-inviting place for criminal activity and criminals.

Lock bumping is a lock picking technique originally developed by locksmiths, but increasingly used by burglars across the U.S. It involves using a specially-crafted "bump" key that can open most any pin tumbler lock. One bump key works for all locks of the same type and allows quick access to your home or business.

Because the technique doesn't cause any noticeable or permanent damage to a lock, it is hard for law enforcement investigators to confirm that burglars have actually gained access through lock bumping. Therefore, the JCPD has not necessarily seen a significant use of lock bumping in the community, but please be aware of the possibility and notify us if you suspect it in a burglary.

• FBI:  Car cloning
• FBI:  Oprah's Millionaire Contest
• FBI:  Fake military twist on online vehicle sales
• FBI:  Work-at-home online scams
• Georgia Power:  Impostor employees getting customers' credit card information
• Craigslist scam safety:  JCPD detectives report increase in complaints.

Burglaries (Total 18):  Office South (1), Eastside Pizza (1), Plantation Bridge (1), Bamboo Garden (1), Ivy Falls (1), Century State Apartments (1), Technology Park/Johns Creek (1), Abbotts Bridge Commons (1), Pet Designs (2), Edgehill Place (1), Cameron Forest (1), Colony Glen (1), Caswyck Trace (1), Country Club of the South (1), CibaVision (1), Falls at Autrey Mill (1), Citadella (1).

Vehicle Break-ins (Total: 9):  Parkside (1), Jefferey's Sports Bar (1), Forum Athletic Club (1), Queensberry (1), Hillbrooke (1), BP Service Station (1), CVS Pharmacy (1), Johns Creek Walk (1), The Ridge at Bumbelow (1).